Over the course of the past 12 years volunteers have worked in Haiti, Brazil, Somalia, Sarajevo, Dominican Republic, Rosebud, South Dakota, and Belize.
Belize
Presently, InterVol’s VMP program is serving in Belize, Central America. Medical missions have traveled there annually since 2001. Each March a group of approximately 20 health care professionals make the trip to Belize. We are fortunate to have a wide range of specialists that volunteer each year. In 2009, the specialties will include: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, ENT, Gynecology, Dermatology, Cardiology, Primary Care, and Anesthesiology.
In March, 2008, the team evaluated over 300 patients and performed 40 surgeries in four and a half days, leaving them exhausted, but fulfilled because they had made such a positive impact in so short a period of time.
The VMP program continues to grow every year as interest continues to flourish. We constantly find health care professionals wanting to volunteer their time to help those less fortunate than themselves. Team members often express the feeling of receiving so much more than they have given. There are so many people who experience healthcare disparity everyday; this is our opportunity to fulfill that need.
The relationships formed in Belize have led to the integration of all of InterVol’s programs into the VMP trips. Belize is a regular recipient of RUMS materials due to the personal connection we maintain with a variety of their health care facilities. The most recent shipment to Belize contained items for the hospitals including infant warmers, but also supplies for the Scout Association of Belize. Since the first trip to Belize, there has been a fundamental focus on bringing FAB projects to the children, scouts, schools, etc. of Belize.
In 2006, the first FAB trip was incorporated into a VMP mission. Four local high school and college students worked closely with the Scouts to establish a computer lab in Belize City. Ever since the Scouts have continued to be one of our primary contacts in Belize. Their organization has assisted the SUNY Fredonia FAB team as they work to bring educational materials to the schools and they will be an integral part of the InterVol Harley Hospice program in Belize.
The students at The Harley School will use their telecommunication system to provide regular training sessions to the Scouts in Belize on palliative care. The vision is to give the Scouts the resources to develop a sustainable hospice program in the country of Belize.
Click here for other Belize activities
To get involved or for more information please contact cynthia.gordon@intervol.org
Rosebud (1997-2004)
The Rosebud mission was a three-way partnership of InterVol, the Rosebud Indian Reservation and Rochester General Hospital. The Lakota Sioux Native Americans continue to suffer as one of the poorest populations in the country, and experience serious healthcare disparity. For a period of eight years, over 200 individuals have traveled with InterVol to Rosebud to provide desperately needed healthcare. The partnership’s success has been honored by the Rosebud residents through a commemorative quilt and plaques listing all of the physicians, nurses, techs, and volunteers who have volunteered at Rosebud, now in display in Rochester General's atrium.
